Thai investigators say labour officials took cash for each berry picker sent to Finland; the anti-corruption commission has since moved to charge two more suspects.
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Thailand's Department of Special Investigation resolved on 11 January 2024 to charge two former politicians and two former senior Labour Ministry officials with accepting bribes and wrongful exercise of duties over a roughly 3,000 baht per-worker fee on about 12,000 pickers sent to Finland in 2020-2023, and sent the file to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC); the DSI file puts the payments at about 36 million baht. Finland's National Bureau of Investigation separately suspects Department of Employment representatives demanded per-picker payments of 3,000 baht in 2020 and 2,000 in 2022, that hundreds of pickers were not allowed to leave Thailand in 2021 after one coordinator refused, and that companies billed pickers for the bribes in concealed fees. On 21 April 2026 the Isaan Record reported the NACC resolved to bring charges against two more of the seven suspects in the DSI file, giving them 15 days to respond before its next decision; no one has been tried in Thailand. Former Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin denies the allegations and the ministry's permanent secretary said no ministry officials were involved.
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- Prachatai English
DSI agreed on 11 January 2024 to prosecute four former ministers and senior Labour Ministry executives for accepting bribes and wrongful exercise of duties; about 12,000 workers sent 2020-2023
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